former sin : 16 whose latter end is worse than the beginning." - Surely such receive the Grace of God in vain.

Having thus shown what is meant by this expression in the text, and having pointed out some of the ways in which men may be guilty of the charge contained in it, I shall. now endeavour,

II. To dissuade you from thus receiving the Grace of God in vain.

In entering on this part of my office, I know and feel the utter impossibility of prevailing with you any farther, than that it may please God to bless the attempt. May He then on this occasion work with me, and by me; that while I

pray you in his stead, not to receive his grace in vain, He may so incline your hearts, that I may not speak in vain !

In the first place, my brethren, let me remind you, that it is the Grace of God, which you are urged to receive; the “Gospel of his Grace;” the richest Mercy which the most merciful God can offer to you: Mercy, provided by infinite Wisdom, Power, and Goodness; Mercy, purchased at an inestimable price, even the precious blood of the Son of God; Mercy, into which the Angels desire to look; and which will for

ever fill the heavenly world with praise and admiration. Surely there must be something in such Mercy, which powerfully demands your acceptance; which loudly calls on you to beware, lest you receive this Grace in vain. How will you answer it to yourselves, if you refuse a gift, which comes thus strongly recommended, and in so forcible a manner claims to be received ?

But remember farther, it is not to yourselves only, that you will have to answer for this conduct; you must answer also to God for the affront, which you put upon Him. How could God more clearly have showed his wonderful loving-kindness towards us, than by sending his Son to be our Saviour, and by freely offering to us pardon, righteousness, and eternal life through Him ? How then can we more directly affront God, than by rejecting his offers, and refusing to be benefited by them? It is as much as to say,

We despise God's mercy, and have no

need of his favour. Though He call us, :6 we will not hear. Though He invite us,

we will not come. Though He offer to • us his grace, we will not accept it. At a * great expense to Himself, even with the ! blood of his only begotten Son, He has • provided salvation for us : but we value • not salvation. We will set at nought all

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His counsel, and will have none of His reproof.' What, I ask, can be more affronting to the Almighty, than such language? Yet, such in fact is the language of all those, who – receive the Grace of God in vain.” And what aggravated guilt and misery are they bringing upon themselves ? « Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the Covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace ?" *

In the next place, let me admonish those, who are now receiving the Grace of God in vain, of the secret grounds and motives of their conduct. Why are you acting thus ?

. Why are you thus affronting God, and bringing guilt and misery on yourselves ? Because you love sin, and are devoted to earthly and sensual things. You are either too proud to submit to the humbling truths of the Gospel, or too fond of the world and the flesh to renounce them for Christ's sake. Whatever you may suppose, this is really the cause of your rejection of the Gospel. The self-denial, the mortification of sin, the re

nouncing of worldly and fleshly lusts, which the Gospel enjoins on all who truly receive it, these are painful operations, which you have no mind to undergo. You have a high opinion of your own merits: therefore you cannot stoop so low as to be saved " by grace through faith.” You place your satisfaction, and look for your happiness in worldly and fleshly enjoyments: therefore you are unwilling to part with them. And hence it comes to pass, that through the love of these things, and from their secret power on your heart, you are receiving the grace of God in vain. But, my brethren, for one moment, seriously think on what you are doing. Think on the worthlessness of those things, for the sake of which you are provoking God, and neglecting so great salvation. “ The pleasures of sin are but for a season. The things which are seen are temporal.” The world, and all things in it, will in a short time be burnt up. But your enjoyment of them will not last even during that short time. You will very soon be torn away from them. Nor even while you remain here, will your happiness in them be complete. You are daily subject to numberless unforeseen interruptions in your schemes of worldly happiness. Pain and sickness, trouble and disappointment, are evils which every day may break in upon your earthly comforts, and spoil all your sensual enjoyments. And is it for these comforts, for these enjoyments, that you slight and reject the grace of God, which, if heartily received, will make you truly happy here, as well as hereafter ?

For, in the last place, consider what must be the certain end of persisting in this rejection of the Gospel. You will assuredly wish at last, that you had not thus received the grace of God in vain; for the consequence must be unavoidable destruction. No hope, no way, no possibility of escape remains. They who reject the Gospel of

. God, or, which is the same thing, receive his grace in vain, must perish ; for nothing but this grace can save the body and soul from everlasting death. Without it there can be no pardon for sin ; no renewal of the heart; no fitness for heavenly happiness, no victory over sin and Satan; no triumph over death and the grave; no title to eternal life and glory. All these great blessings are contained in the grace thus offered to you. If you receive it in vain, you lose them all, and you lose them all for ever. in which you can be pardoned, sanctified, and

There is no way,